Note that there may be a small charge for some of these events, and some may be for members only. We will be publishing lists of upcoming talks and events regularly - if you are organising a talk or event relating to Scottish genealogy or history, please let us know and we will be happy to add your events to our list.
Monday, February 12 2018, 7pm - 9pm
Death in the New Town
Prof Ken Donaldson
Venue: Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh Museum
Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh
£2. Death in the New Town: Silicosis in the 19th Century
For 2018 we are delighted to introduce a series of intimate talks taking a look behind the scenes at Surgeons Hall Museums, entitled #SpeakToTheSpecialist. Professor Ken Donaldson, Surgeons’ Hall Museums Senior Research Fellow, will introduce the series by discussing his latest research here at the museums. The building of the Edinburgh New Town, from the mid-18th to the mid-19th centuries, represented an advance in harmonious and elegant town planning, now recognised world-wide. A large number of Stonemasons gathered in Edinburgh to build the New Town and there have been sporadic reports that an outbreak of silicosis/tuberculosis occurred amongst them. Stonemasons were known, from early times, to suffer from inhaling stone dust leading to silicosis, a scarring lung disease that is potentially lethal and can lead to cancer. Using contemporary accounts of the New Town incident and we uncovered evidence showing that a major epidemic did in fact occur. We believe that a number of factors related to working stone in Edinburgh conspired to cause the epidemic. We have also found lungs from Edinburgh Stonemasons in the collection of the museums that confirm the presence of silicosis. This talk will describe the nature of this unique public health incident, its significance and impact and how silicosis still continues to occur in Stonemasons. The talk will last about 60min and the Museums will be open for viewing until 9pm for ticket holders only.
Tuesday, February 13 2018, 7.30 pm
Burntisland's Industrial Heritage
Bill Dewar
Venue: Volunteer House (Vonef Centre) in 69 Crossgate Cupar KY15 5AS
Tea/coffee and biscuits included. Members entry free - Non members very welcome entry £2 for refreshments. Phone Dave Reid on 01333 350557 for any queries re talks.
Tuesday, February 13 2018, 7.30 pm
The History of the Victoria Hall
Keith Hart
Venue: Buchan Hotel, Ellon
Ellon and District Heritage Society
Entrance £3
Tuesday, February 13 2018, 7.30 pm - 9.30 pm
Britannia Panoptican
Judith Bowers
Venue: Masonic Halls, Collier Street, Johnstone
Wednesday, February 14 2018, 2.15 pm
Terrorists in Long Dresses: the Scottish Suffragettes
Ajay Close
Venue: D'Arcy Thompson Zoology Museum, Carnelley Building, University of Dundee
There will be a small charge for this lecture
Wednesday, February 14 2018, 7 pm
The Trafficking of Musical Instruments in Georgian and Victorian Edinburgh
Dr Jenny Nex & Dr Lance Whitehead
Venue: Augustine Church, George IV Bridge, Edinburgh
A multiplicity of sources is required to assess the movement of musical instruments into and out of Edinburgh during the 18th and 19th centuries, but the Leith Port Books provide an important foundation for this work. The Glen Account Book offers the perspective of an individual firm, revealing their relationships with both London makers and local craftspeople, all situated within the wider musical networks of Edinburgh cultural society.
Dr Jenny Nex is Curator of Edinburgh University's musical instrument collection and is an active researcher, lecturer and musician.
Dr Lance Whitehead has been a school music teacher, museum curator and crime scene investigator. He is now a church organist, journal editor and independent researcher, and also tutors in the music departments of the University of Edinburgh and Napier University.
Free to members, £5 for guests. Disabled access and hearing loop
Wednesday, February 14 2018, 7.30 pm
Register of Corrected Entries
Ken Nisbet
Venue: Smith Museum and Art Gallery
Central Scotland Family History Society
Wednesday, February 14 2018, 7.45 pm
The Kaiser's Pirate
Kenneth Colville
Venue: RAF Club, Ardgowan Square, Greenock
Thursday, February 15 2018, 5.15 pm
The creation of legal antiquity in Late Medieval Scotland
Dr Alice Taylor (King’s College, London)
Venue: Room G.13, Doorway 4, Old Medical School
University of Edinburgh
The Scottish History research seminars take place throughout the academic year and are open to all.
Thursday, February 15 2018, 7.30 pm
Women Pilots of WWII
Roy Johnstone
Venue: Abbey Church Hall, Abbey Park Place, Dunfermline
Dunfermline Historical Society
Visitors are charged a fee of £2.00 per meeting and are made very welcome.
Thursday, February 15 2018, 7.30 pm
A Survey of a Multi-Period Settlement
Roland Spencer-Jones - Chairman, North of Scotland Archaeology Society - Strathpeffer
Venue: Brora Community Centre
Urchany, near Beauly, from the Bronze Age to 1871
Thursday, February 15 2018, 7.30 pm
TBC
Tom Graham
Venue: Portland Church hall, South Beach, Troon
Troon & Ayrshire Family History Society
Thursday, February 15 2018, 7:30 pm
Workshop
David Weir
Venue: Heritage Centre, Paisley
Renfrewshire Family History Society
Follow up to October’s workshop – David Weir (Heritage Co-ordinator Renfrewshire Council) will provide appropriate Family History material from the Council’s Archives.
Friday, February 16 2018, 7.30 pm
The Naval Reserve in the Highlands and Islands
Dr. Ben Thomas
Venue: Eden Court, Bishops Rd, Inverness IV3 5SA
Friday, February 16 2018, 7.30 pm - 9.30 pm
The Naval Reserve in the Highlands and Islands
Dr Ben Thomas
Venue: Eden Court, Bishops Rd, Inverness IV3 5SA